


Head Games

by Dark_Puck



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-09-23
Updated: 2011-09-23
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,738
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Puck/pseuds/Dark_Puck
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A refugee child in Ba Sing Se is found somewhere she shouldn't be by a Dai Li agent. This proves disastrous for her and her brothers, as they have a secret: they're all from the Fire Nation...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Doll

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Mindbending of children; creeptastic and slightly skeevy in early chapters.
> 
> Notes: Xin Wan, Liu, and most Dai Li OCs belong to Bex and are used with her permission and assistance.

  
Doll   


* * *

  
_Curiosity kills  
What you don't know won't burn you  
What you don't know won't make its mark_   


  


* * *

Yui has never seen locks as guardians of forbidden places, but rather as challenges with prizes beyond. She has a gift to make any lock open before her, something she joking calls lockbending. That gift has saved both her and her brothers several times in the journey from New Sozin to Ba Sing Se: Opening the way to medical supplies when Kouji cried out in fever, freeing Ichiro from an Earth prison and a Fire prison, getting food and clothing when the winter was at its coldest and Ichiro couldn't leave Kouji, and helping to get them to the Impenetrable City.

Now it is spring, and Kouji is no longer in danger, though the ugly burn on his chest will never go away, and Ba Sing Se is full of challenges for a bored little girl. She keeps her lashes lowered to hide her Fire eyes, and travels from ring to ring with so much assurance that nobody seems to notice she shouldn't be where she is.

Today she is wandering the Earth King's palace, flitting from room to room, being mistaken for a servant's daughter and sent on errands that entertain her. To her disappointment, she doesn't manage to see the Earth King, but perhaps on another day. Her wanderings take her deeper into the bowels of the palace, until she starts coming across locked doors. Pleased, she follows them a little deeper, until she finds one that she likes and settles in to work on the lock.

This one takes longer than most, which makes her even happier - all too often the locks are simple things, more decoration than functional for what good is a lock in a palace of earthbenders? However, Yui is a lockbender and therefore this lock gives way to her after a few minutes of fiddling. When she opens the door, she realises why _this_ room has such a good lock - it is reinforced by metal.

Curious.

Yui slips inside to explore in the dim light spilling from the hallway, and is confused. The room is empty but for a lamp, some chairs, and a table. All in all, a room that must have fallen to disuse... but why protect such a room against earthbenders and those without the key? Yui is confused and pads to the table and the chairs. All wood, all clean.

No dust.

It makes no _sense_.

Still, the wood is very fine, smooth and polished under Yui's hands. She smiles, then leans forward and sniffs. Katsura wood! Katsura doesn't grow in the Earth Kingdom, this must be an import - or a war prize. She can smell spilled inks as well, and smoke, but those scents are extremely faint, even to her. Three of the chairs are the same, only without the ink, but the fourth...

The fourth does not belong. It is rosewood, painted to look like the others, and it has restraints. She smells sweat, newer than the smoke and ink, and it makes her nervous. This room is not what it appears.

Suddenly this isn't fun anymore.

She backs away from the chair, then turns to leave the room - and there is someone standing in the doorway, looking at her.

"Hello there," the man says, the light from the hall silhouetting him and making it impossible for Yui to see his face. "How did you come to be here, little girl?"

Yui swallows, her eyes wide. No adult sounds so pleasant when they find her where she shouldn't be. She doesn't answer and is relieved that her lock picks are tucked safely away in her armband.

"You must know you shouldn't be here," he adds in that same tone, but with an undercurrent of steel. "It would be better if you answered me."

She gulps and takes a step back. "I- I was curious..."

"Is your curiosity satisfied?" he asks her, now sounding mildly curious himself; no longer trusting her voice, Yui nods.

"A pity it led you here at all." The man steps fully inside the room, closing and locking the door behind him. Before he can even turn around, Yui has darted behind the unmatching chair, silently cursing that her vision has to adjust to the lack of light again. This is very, very bad.

He sighs as if saddened by her trying to keep away from him. "Little doll, little doll... you're not going to win this."

"Then come and get me!" she throws at him, trying to hide her fright. He's right, but by Agni she won't make it easy for him.

And so he comes, circling around the table; when Yui scrambles for another chair, he sends something flying at her. Rather than go to the side to avoid, she dives under the table and rolls to keep it between them, scrambling to her feet.

"Good thinking," the man says, sounding pleased. He gestures, and Yui skips aside more on instinct than anything else. A good move; something brushes past her sleeve and slams against the metal wall. However, the man darts forward now, quick as a striking snake, and she yelps, diving under the table again- too slow.

He snatches her from the air and wraps her tight in his arms so she can't wriggle loose. "Don't fret, precious. Don't fret," he says soothingly, ignoring the kicks she unleashes at his knees. "I won't hurt you. I will keep you safe and loved." Still holding tight, he brings her to the chair that doesn't match and sets her in it, holding her down with one hand on her shoulder and his leg tight against hers so she can no longer kick. "Don't fret." With his free hand he drags Yui's arm up and ties it to the arm of the chair, ignoring her struggles and her cries of fear. Limb by limb he binds her, tight enough to hurt so she won't escape, talking to her in that soothing tone all the while.

When she's safely restrained, he releases her and takes a moment to look her over. "You will be a pretty little doll," he says, reaching out and petting her dark hair, "a nice little playmate for Mi-Cha."

In answer she tries to bite his hand.

Frighteningly, this doesn't seem to anger him. He even sounds _approving_ as he strokes her hair again. "Feisty," he says. "You'll be fun to make." And he draws away from her and lights the lamp.

She cries out again at the sudden brightness, closing her eyes and turning her head away. "I know, I know," he says, apologetic. "It's always too much at first."

Yui curses him then, using words that she learned from Ichiro those first few nights when Kouji only clung to life by a thread. She keeps her eyes closed, refusing to draw comfort from the light that no longer seems as harsh as it first did. Silence stretches from the man, but still she doesn't open her eyes, squirming against the too-tight bonds holding her in place.

Minutes pass by, one after another, and still there is silence from him. Finally, Yui can no longer stand it and carefully opens one eye. The man is on the other side of the lamp, watching her with a smile on his face.

Both eyes go wide; that smile frightens her to her very core.

The man tips his head slightly to one side. "Fire-eyes," he says wonderingly, and Yui jerks in fear. "Where did you get Fire-eyes, little doll?"

Yui is silent; let him think her a child of the war. There may be No War in Ba Sing Se, but her heritage is quite obvious and it is the only explanation.

Her silence doesn't annoy him, or seem to have any affect on him at all. "I will ask you again later." That smile never falters as he goes on, "Now I need to make you. Do you want to be my daughter? Or perhaps a cousin's extra daughter left in my care?"

Yui can't even begin to hide her confusion at his words. What is he _talking_ about? Make her? Make her do what?

He seems to be almost ignoring her now, except his eyes hold hers as he continues to speak. "I think there would be questions if I had a daughter, since I have no wife. A cousin's daughter then, sent to be kept safe in Ba Sing Se."

In response she bares her teeth at him, letting an animalistic growl rumble in her throat like she's heard Ichiro do when facing Earth or Fire soldiers. In Ichiro the sound is intimidating.

In Yui it is merely cute.

"Oh, aren't you precious?" he comments, annoying her. "I should try to keep that." He remains behind the lamp, and the glow soon drags Yui's eyes down to it, since the flame moves and he does not.

She does not see his smile widen.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se," he says soothingly. "There is no war within the walls. Here, we are safe. Here, we are free..."

Yui follows his voice into darkness.

* * *

  
_Listen to the mission  
I've been telling the tradition  
And I'm giving you permission  
To be in my head_   


  


* * *

"What's your name, little doll?"

"Yui," she replies quietly, looking up at him. There is lingering pain in her arms and legs, but that pain is distant and she doesn't remember why she hurts. It doesn't matter.

"Where are you from, Yui-darling?"

She remembers nothing, but the answer leaves her mouth anyway. "New Sozin."

"New Sozin," he says, sounding surprised. She neither knows nor cares why. "Why did you come here, Yui-darling?"

"We ran away." She doesn't wonder who the 'we' is.

"Who is we?" He wonders for her.

"Ichiro, Kouji, and me," she tells him.

"Tell me about Ichiro," he says, stroking her hair.

"Ichiro is my big brother," she replies. "He's sixteen and was born in midsummer. He's a firebender, but that's a secret. He's strong and stubborn and loves us."

His hand stops petting her, but it still rests against her head. "A firebender," he says softly. "Well." Raising his voice again, he adds, "Tell me about Kouji."

"Kouji is my twin brother," she tells him. "He's ten and was born in late spring like me. He's an earthbender, but that's a big secret. He's sweet and shy and scared."

"Well, well, well," he says, surprised and very intrigued by what she has just said. She doesn't wonder why. He begins to stroke her hair again. "And tell me about yourself, Yui-darling."

"I'm ten, and the lockbender. I like to sing and I don't like not knowing things. I hate my father and love my brothers."

"Why do you hate your father, Yui-darling?" he wants to know.

Emotion colours her voice now, faint traces of anger. "Because he tried to _kill_ Kouji!"

Again his hand stills on her head. "Now why would he do that?"

"He found out Kouji was an earthbender." She is shaking, she realises, and then realises that she is shaking with _anger_.

"Don't fret, Yui-darling. You are safe here," he tells her soothingly, and her trembling abates. He is right; she and Kouji are safe behind the walls of Ba Sing Se.

"Why did your father find an earthbender son so terrible?"

"He hates earthbenders and earthbending. He told us two years ago when Ichiro asked that any colony-born earthbenders would be culled." Her tone is flat and even again.

"He would not be pleased to know you are here, would he?"

"No," she replies. "But he won't leave New Sozin to find out."

"That's good. Where are your brothers, Yui-darling?" he asks her.

"We have an apartment in the Lower Ring," she says, and then tells him the address.

There is a long silence, then he asks, "Why is it a secret that Ichiro firebends?"

"Because of the Firebending Law," she replies. "Any firebender born and discovered in the colonies has to go back to the homeland for training. Ichiro didn't want to go back. He wanted to stay with us, and then later he had to protect Kouji."

"From your father?"

"Yes," she answers. "And to train Kouji."

"Tell me what happend, Yui-darling," he says.

Yui has to close her eyes - she doesn't want to say. But he wants to know.

"Father had secured an apprenticeship for Ichiro. He went to find him, and found Kouji earthbending. He got mad and firebent Kouji. I was with Ichiro and felt it. Ichiro took off running; by the time I got there he was fighting father and Kouji was lying on the ground. Ichiro defeated father, picked up Kouji, and told me to run. We ran."

"You felt it?" he asks her curiously.

She nods. "I feel when he hurts, and he feels when I hurt."

"Did he feel this?" he wants to know.

"Probably," is her reply.

He made a soft 'tsk' sound. "You probably miss him, don't you?"

Did she? She didn't feel anything. But the words were rising again. "Yes."

"We should bring him here, don't you think?"

She looks up at him. "He won't like that."

"Why not?"

She finds that question difficult for a moment, and has to think. But there's nothing in there for her to think about. She doesn't remember, but clearly some part of her does, because she's speaking again. "He won't like what you did to me. He won't like being taken away. He'll fight."

"That's all right, Yui-darling. They always fight," he tells her, stroking her hair a bit more.

Oh. That's all right, then.

* * *

  
_Stay with me  
Safe and ignorant  
Just stay with me_   


  


* * *

Lei opens her eyes to the late morning light spilling across her face and is briefly disoriented - she isn't at home! But then she remembers: she was sent to Ba Sing Se to be safe from the war. Only she isn't to mention the war here, Cousin Xin Wan told her so last night when he met her at the trains into the city. They are safe in Ba Sing Se, so there is no need to speak of the war.

Yawning, she gets up and moves across the room where an actual silver-backed mirror is mounted on the wall. She gets a good look at herself in it: long black hair, pale skin, amber eyes. She lowers her lashes to hide her eyes, mark of her mother's shame. Perhaps here none will comment.

She looks down to take stock of her body, already burgeoning into that of a woman's. She knows that it's very early for such a thing, but perhaps that, too, is the mark of Fire in her. With a sigh, she pads across the room to the closet where Xin Wan helped her hang her clothes last night and selects a pretty kimono of pale green silk. She runs her fingers over the brocade with a soft smile before changing from her nightclothes to the kimono. She selects a dark green obi and matching pantaloons to go underneath, then finds her brush and goes looking for her cousin.

It doesn't take her very long to find him; he's seated at a table, looking over some papers. He hears her come in, looking up and smiling at her. "Good morning, Lei-darling," he says.

Lei bows politely. "Good morning cousin," she replies, smiling back.

"Did you sleep well?" he asks her.

She nods. "Yes, cousin, very well," she says, pushing some of her long hair from her face.

"Do you need help with your hair, Lei-darling?"

Lei brightens. "Yes, cousin, I do," she says.

He gestures for her to sit in front of him and takes the brush from her hand, gently running it through her hair. After a few moments, he comments, "I'm thinking of making a new music box. What sort of song do you think would sound nice in one?"

Lei considers this, thinking of songs that she knows. After a moment, she begins to hum one.

He listens to her, carefully twisting her hair into a braid, then says, "I don't recognise that one. Could you sing it for me?"

"All right," she replies, then closes her eyes and begins to sing.

 _"Come, firefly, come!  
There the water is bitter  
Here the water is sweet  
Come, firefly, come!  
Up this mountain path!"_

Xin Wan listens carefully to her singing, then he hums it back to her. Lei closes her eyes to listen, and nods slightly. "That's it." She's impressed by his ear for music; he's note-perfect on it.

"I'll need to deliver that to a watchmaker I know. Would you like to come with me or would you like to meet Mi-Cha?"

Lei considers this for a moment. "I think I'd like-" She cries out as she feels an impact against her chest, and then her back and head ring with pain, as if she'd just been thrown against the wall - but she hasn't moved! Nothing has touched her!

Xin Wan's hand stills against her hair, and then he says, "The Dai Li bid you safe journey from Ba Sing Se, cousin Lei."

Confusion and fear and identity slip away from her, and she answers, "It was an honour to stay here."

"Let's roll back to just after I asked you if you wanted to accompany me or meet Mi-Cha. Don't remember the pain. It was unimportant," he orders her.

"Yes. It was unimportant," she repeats.

"It pleases me that you understand." He touches her shoulder. "The Dai Li welcome you to Ba Sing Se, cousin Lei."

Lei considers this for a moment. "I think I'd like to meet Mi-Cha, cousin."

"Mi-Cha is a nice little girl," Xin Wan tells her with a smile. "She'll help you get accustomed to the ways of the city, and maybe you'll be able to go up to the palace with her sometime."

Lei beams at him. "I should like that very much."


	2. Tin Soldier

Tin Soldier

* * *

_The man steps out in the moonlight  
At the sound of a scream from below.  
He thinks he is a warrior  
So he picks up his sword and goes._

* * *

Yui is in trouble, and she's far away.

The latter fact means nothing to Kouji in the face of the former. It's thanks to Yui that he's alive, rather than a broken husk. If she's in trouble, he's got to rescue her. That's the way things work with them — the only people they have are each other and Ichiro. And Ichiro has to work so they can live in Ba Sing Se, so Kouji can't pester him with this.

Besides, he can rescue his twin sister from almost anything. Nobody knows what he is.

Of course, getting to her will be a chore — she's far enough away to be in the Upper Ring, nearly a full day's walk away. This will require sneaking onto the trains from ring to ring.

The young colonist can't help but smile at the thought. It's been awhile since he's had a good sneak.

Things start to go awry in the higher portions of the Middle Ring, four hours after he sets out. He's down an alleyway, trying to see if this wall will open into the train station, when he hears a footstep behind him and turns.

Behind him is a man in a forest green robe and hat. On the chest is the sigil of the Earth Kingdom, rendered in green and pale gold. On his hands are gloves that look like rock; the robes cover the man's feet.

And then Kouji notes his stance.

He starts to move, but he's too slow— the man in green raises his hands and shoots one of the gloves at him. The rock strikes Kouji in the chest, slamming him back into the wall and stunning him briefly.

He yells in pain, and then the man has him by the shirt and is pulling him off the ground— but Kouji doesn't need to be rooted to earthbend.

He makes a scooping motion with his right hand, then slams it forward; the sand he always carries with him erupts from the pouch on his belt and strikes the man in the eyes. His attacker drops him with a yell, and Kouji scampers past him.

Before the green man can attack again, the boy plunges out of the alley and into a crowd, losing himself before the man can catch him. _Something's gone wrong_ , he realises. _He was trying to catch_ me. _Yui, what have you done?_

He doesn't run anymore — running is suspicious — but he walks quickly towards the train station. Unfortunately, he seems to have been anticipated: he can see more of the green men milling about, making the other people in the crowd nervous and quiet, and they're all focused on the station.

Kouji's grey eyes narrow; they know he's trying to move on.

 _Fine. I'll walk._ He finds a vendor and buys a conical hat to help cover his face, then moves on towards the wall between Middle and Upper Rings. Kouji has long since mastered the art of looking like he's headed nowhere in particular — being one of two secret benders in his home colony had certainly helped.

Kouji flinches and rubs at his chest through his shirt, turning his thoughts down better paths lest he come apart again. Yui. He has to find Yui.

He takes great care not to stand out, and at one point manages to talk another boy into trading shirts with him to make it harder for the green men to pick him out again. Finally, he reaches the wall between the rings and checks to be sure nobody can see him. Taking a deep breath, he forces open a tunnel and crawls through, then rises on the other side and closes it behind him.

Yui is moving.

Kouji's eyes narrow, and he strikes out quickly at a different angle to her. Something is wrong; it will be better for him to lie low and get his bearings — and to keep moving. Sooner or later, she'll stop moving again, and he'll be able to save her.

* * *

_"So glad you could make it  
We had everything arranged.  
So glad you saw fit to pay a call."_

* * *

It's night-time by the time Kouji finds the park his sister is waiting in. Perhaps she's already got out of trouble, he thinks, and is waiting for him to catch up so they can go home.

 _Ichiro is going to have a_ fit, he thinks with a small smile as he rounds the corner.

There's Yui—

—in different clothes than what she was wearing this morning. Her hair is styled differently as well, with headgear she certainly did not have at home. She looks… almost shy now.

Kouji frowns, but she's alone, and he can't see anyone around, not even in the trees. _Okay. We're safe._ He runs to his sister and takes her hand. "Yui, come on—"

She blinks at him, looking confused. "—you look like me. Who are you?"

Kouji freezes. "What?"

"So good of you to join us, Kouji."

The voice is new and male, adult and calm and soothing.

Kouji whirls toward it, pulling his sister behind him unthinkingly. His eyes fly wide as he sees another of the green men, smiling pleasantly at him. He also stands in such a way that for Kouji to escape, he'll have to pass closer to the green man than he is now. His mind runs through the possibilities but he has to discard everything — there's too many unknown variables, all stemming from that green man.

And then Yui darts out from behind him and runs to the green man.

"Yui, no!" he cries, reaching for her and missing. To his utter surprise, she _hugs_ the strange man and smiles up at him.

"Oh, Lei-darling," he says, petting her hair and sending a chill up Kouji's spine. "I hope you're not upset with me."

"Why would I be upset with you, cousin?" she asks curiously, rocking Kouji to his very core.

 _Cousin!?_

"What have you done to her!?" he demands of the smiling green man.

"I'll explain everything later, Lei-darling," the man says to Yui, ignoring Kouji. "But I need you to run along home while I take care of some Dai Li business."

"Yes, cousin," she replies, also ignoring her twin.

"Yui!" Kouji cries, trying to get her attention. What's _wrong_ , why doesn't she respond to him?

Again Yui ignores him, instead hugging the smiling green man again and then vanishing into the night-dark city, leaving Kouji alone with the man and trying to cope with his _sister_ abandoning him.

The smiling man turns to him now. "She's a sweet little doll, isn't she?" he asks the boy conversationally.

Hot rage sweeps over Kouji, and the dirt under his feet starts to shake and come apart from the rest. "She is _not_ a doll," he snarls at the smiling green man.

"Do you love your sister?" the smiling green man asks, ignoring him.

What kind of idiot question is that? "Of _course_ I do!" Kouji yells.

"Then come with me, and I will take you to her, and you two will be happy together."

Part of Kouji is tempted.

But that part is overridden by the rest of him, who remembers that Yui is not Yui anymore, and who thinks that this man had something to do with her change.

"What did you _do_ to her!?" he demands again.

"Is that a 'no' then?" the smiling green man asks.

In reply, Kouji snarls and bends the sand out of his bag, lashing it out into a whip straight for the man's eyes. Rock spikes up from the ground, disrupting the sand, and then a crevasse forms between Kouji and the smiling green man; Kouji leaps away from the forming hole but lands on pitching earth. He yelps and windmills his arms, trying to stay balanced.

The smiling green man gestures, and the earthquake increases its intensity; Kouji falls with another yelp. Instantly the dirt springs around his legs, trying to pull him down; the boy strains against them, then desperately forms a pillar beneath him, kicking himself up into the air. He twists and manages to land lightly on a tree branch.

This doesn't save him long; the smiling green man sends up a thin slice of rock that slices through the branch like nothing; Kouji leaps as his perch begins to fall, trying to make it to another one.

The smiling green man is faster than Kouji. A pillar of stone slams into him _just_ hard enough to knock him off course; the boy crashes heavily to the ground, knocking the wind out of him. Before he can react, the dirt has wrapped around him again, binding him strongly from shoulders to ankles.

Kouji struggles against these bindings as the smiling green man moves closer. "Aren't you a steadfast little soldier," he says, sounding pleased. Kouji growls in reply and struggles harder, trying to get enough purchase to bend himself free.

"I am going to have to fix Lei over what happened here," the smiling green man says, "but you make it so worthwhile, tin soldier." He makes a gesture, and another green man melts out of the shadows and approaches the bound child.

As Kouji is lifted off the ground, the smiling green man orders, "Take him to the closer one."

* * *

_So he went inside there  
To take on what he found  
But he never escaped them,  
For who can escape what he desires?_

* * *

Xi Zu awakens with a gasp, panting hard. Why does he continuously have dreams of that night, of the firebender who tried to kill him? They're so different from what he remembers. With a sigh, the boy glances down at his sister and smiles slightly — she's gravitated to his bed again. Careful not to disturb Lei, Xi Zu gets up and pads over to the closet to take out his clothes for the day.

—his heart is pounding in remembered fear. Xi Zu frowns; that night he hadn't been afraid, he had been _angry_. His life had been ruined by the Fire Nation since his conception; everywhere he and Lei went back home, people would stare and point at the pair of them, the proof that their mother hadn't been strong enough to fight off the Fire soldier who had found her attractive.

He had gone out to fight, to prove that he was strong enough to stand against his father's people. He had almost managed it, too. If only he'd had more training, rather than having to learn by imitating what he saw other earthbenders do.

Maybe cousin Xin Wan would train him.

—so why, when he dreams it, is his dream-self terrified? What is that word he screams?

And who is the firebender who saves him?

Perhaps the Spirit of Illusion is playing with him. He should ask Xin Wan about that.

But later, when he and Lei are more settled in. He doesn't want to trouble their cousin now.

Xi Zu dresses and settles down in a chair, leaving his shirt tied loose so everyone can see his scar and know that his bloodline hasn't tainted him at all. —only they're not allowed to talk of the war here, are they? It's supposed to be secret, to keep the people from panicking. With a scowl, Xi Zu reties his shirt to cover his hard-won scar, then he glances over at his sister.

Lei is beautiful, or she will be when she grows up. Even her Fire-eyes look right on her, shameful as they are. He'll have to take care to make sure she's strong enough not to follow the same path as their mother.

But before that… earthbending.

Xi Zu smiles slightly, then slips out of the room in search of their cousin.

He finds Xin Wan in the kitchen, drinking tea. "Hello, cousin," Xi Zu says, bowing.

"Good morning, Xi Zu," the older man replies.

Xi Zu tilts his head, looking at the tea. "Didn't sleep?"

"I stayed up all night making something new…" Xin Wan trails off and smiles. Alarm bells go off in Xi Zu's head, but he can't figure out why.

"Something for Lei?"

Xin Wan's smile widens. "Yes."

Xi Zu sighs and takes a seat at the table. "I thought grown-ups knew when to stop making things and go to bed." Not that Lei doesn't deserve things. She deserves the world.

"The nice thing about being an adult," Xin Wan informs him, "is there's no one to tell me when to go to bed."

The boy cracks a small smile. "Yes, I suppose so." He traces his finger idly over the table in an infinity loop.

"I hope you slept well," Xin Wan says with a smile.

Xi Zu smiles back. "I did."

"Good. Is there anything you would like to do today?" his cousin asks him.

Xi Zu considers the question a moment, the infinity loop changing into some equation or another. "Well, if you're not too busy today," he begins, glancing at Xin Wan.

"I doubt I will be," Xin Wan replies with a more secretive smile.

The boy brightens a bit, and his hand stills. "I was… hoping maybe you could teach me better earthbending?"

"I could!" his cousin exclaims with a happier smile. "But we'll have to get Lei-darling situated so she isn't bored."

"Yeah, she doesn't really like watching me practise," Xi Zu agreed.

…but that wasn't true. Was it?

"We could take her to meet Mi-Cha," Xin Wan says thoughtfully. "She's the daughter of one of my fellow Dai Li. Sweet little girl."

"That could work," Xi Zu agrees. "Lei… didn't have the chance to play with other girls back home, really." He sighs in vexation. Idiots, all of them, thinking their precious angels could _catch_ Fire blood…

"Xi Zu?"

The boy quickly turns his frown into a smile and turns to face his sister. "Hey," he says, getting up and going to hug her. She's changed into a pretty pale green kimono; in one hand is a brush.

 _She always did like having other people brush her hair for her._

"Good morning, Lei-darling," Xin Wan says.

"Good morning, cousin," she replies, smiling back at him and worming free of Xi Zu.

"Did you sleep well?" their cousin asks her as Xi Zu resumes his seat.

She nods. "Yes, cousin, very well," she says, pushing some of her long hair from her face.

"Do you need help with your hair, Lei-darling?"

Lei brightens. "Yes, cousin, I do," she says, and Xi Zu smiles. _You came here hoping he would offer, sister._

He gestures for her to sit in front of him and takes the brush from her hand, gently running it through her hair. After a few moments, he comments, "I'm thinking of making a new music box. What sort of song do you think would sound nice in one?"

Lei pauses, then, after a moment, she begins to hum one Xi Zu recognises, about a firefly.

Xin Wan listens to her, carefully twisting her hair into a braid, then says, "I don't recognise that one. Could you sing it for me?"

"All right," she replies, then closes her eyes and begins to sing.

 _"Come, firefly, come!  
There the water is bitter  
Here the water is sweet…"_


	3. Clockwork Boy

Clockwork Boy

* * *

_"Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly;  
"'Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you may spy […]  
"Oh no, no," said the little fly; "to ask me is in vain,  
For who goes up your winding stair can ne'er come down again."_

* * *

Yui and Kouji have been missing for five days, and Ichiro has been on the run for just as long. It's a hard game, staying ahead of the Dai Li without using his bending, but so far he's managed it well enough. Unfortunately, he knows that his time is running out. The only thing left is for him to leave the city—

But he's spent his entire life looking after Kouji and Yui. Well, mostly Kouji; Yui takes care of herself. He can't leave them to their fate here. He _has_ to rescue them.

But he can't. He doesn't know where they are. If _he_ escapes, he can come back without help and—

 _What help, you idiot?_ he yells at himself. _You're alone! Wanted by the Fire Nation and enemy of the Earth Kingdom! There's nobody_ to _help._

—the way is clear.

Quickly Ichiro slips across the street, settling into a restaurant so he can have some lunch. So long as he acts normal and keeps his emotions from influencing his firebending, nobody notices that anything is out of place.

He orders his lunch and has a seat, mentally going over the places he's already looked for the twins in as well as hiding places that have been discovered. Fortunately for him, Ba Sing Se is a huge city.

Unfortunately for him, the Dai Li know the city much better than he does. And as he discovered on his first day on the run, they too were used to travelling up as well as on the ground.

Annoyed, he takes a bite of his _xiazi jiaomian_ * while considering his options, of which surrender is _not_ one. By the time he's done, he's no better off than he was when he first came in here.

He's getting ready to rise when a man sits down across from him. There's nothing really remarkable about the man, save for the scarf covering the lower half of his face. Ichiro nods to him and stands— and just as quickly sits back down, ducking his head a little.

A Dai Li agent has just walked in, and Ichiro is relieved to note that he's not the only person who has ducked down — among others, his new tablemate has ducked as well. _Ah— he must have been got by a firebender,_ Ichiro realises. _Maybe a refugee, or a soldier during the Great Siege. Poor bastard._

The Dai Li is looking away. Quick as a flash, Ichiro slips off his hat and passes it to the older man. He can shield his eyes easily enough; the scarf is much more obvious.

The man glances up at Ichiro, who whispers, "Block sight of the scarf from the side." With a nod, his tablemat puts the hat on. The Dai Li's head is turning their way; Ichiro half-lids his eye and looks into his bowl, pretending to find the contents extremely interesting.

The other man, in the meantime, lifts a cup of tea to the scarf and tips his head as though taking a drink. After a last glance around, the Dai Li agent leaves; instantly the atmosphere relaxes as a number of breaths are released.

Ichiro's tablemate makes a hand-sign at him, one the firebender assumes is a thank-you. He grins at the older man and bows in reply.

The man smiles with just his eyes, then carefully works his scarf so he could drink his tea for real. Ichiro finds himself curious, and then assailed by a short wave of guilt — obviously his tablemate isn't permitted out in public often. Just as obviously he had been hurt by a firebender.

Like Ichiro.

 _Oh, stop that_ , he tells himself crossly. _You were_ eleven _when the Siege was broken._

The man reaches inside his robe and removes a writing kit. He wets the inkstone, inks his brush, then writes on paper, 'Again, thank you.'

Ichiro smiles. "My pleasure," he says quietly.

'Most only try to avoid the Dai Li,' the man writes now.

"Seems wise to me," Ichiro replies. "I get the feeling anyone fighting them would be in for a nasty surprise."

His tablemate nods, and then manipulates his scarf again to drink some of his soup. Ichiro can't help but be fascinated by this, though he tries not to stare. _You can't trust anyone in this city,_ he reminds himself.

The man is writing again; Ichiro looks down to read, 'War-child?'

"There is No War," the colonist replies. "Which is why I wear a hat, usually." His companion nods and touches his scarf, and now it's Ichiro's turn to ask. "Refugee?"

A headshake, then he writes 'Siege.'

Ichiro nods and sighs softly. "They're known for ruining lives," he says, and is proud — he's got the bitterness mostly under control.

The man tilts his head. 'Fire or Earth?' he asks, and Ichiro traces the stylised flame of the Fire Nation flag on the table with one finger.

A nod from his companion, and Ichiro rises to get himself another cup of tea. With the Dai Li nearby, it's best if he stays put for the moment. As he seats himself again, he notices that his tablemate has dipped some bread into his soup, holding it there until it's soggy. _Weird, fire like that shouldn't have affected his teeth— but he doesn't talk. His throat._ That would certainly do it.

He seats himself and bows slightly to the older man. "Call me Kouichi, by the way."

'Liu. A pleasure to meet you.'

 

* Pork and shrimp dumpling noodles

* * *

_"I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high.  
Well you rest upon my little bed?" said the spider to the fly. […]  
"Oh no, no," said the little fly, "for I've often heard it said,  
They never, never wake again who sleep upon your bed!"_

* * *

Ichiro is too wary to tell Liu the entire truth of his situation — and, given the older man's scars, he doesn't think Liu would take well to the truth regardless. Instead, he implies that he's on his own, a refugee outcast by both sides (not entirely untrue) who was vastly unhappy to discover that there is No War in Ba Sing Se, and therefore his existence seems to be something of a problem.

He does admit to Liu that he hasn't been home in awhile, though he doesn't tell him the precise number. Liu touches his scarf, then writes, 'My existence is a bit of a problem as well. Fortunately, I have a place to stay, and some small income.'

Ichiro smiles wryly. "I used to. I think one of my neighbours got nervous about these," he gestures to his eyes, "and ratted me out."

The older man nods. 'I could give you a place to stay for a few days. If you want.'

Ichiro hesitates — he's getting damn tired of sleeping on roofs and out in the elements, but at the same time… can he really trust the older man? "I wouldn't want you to get in trouble on my behalf," he hedges.

Another touch to the scarf. 'I can take the risk on a few days.'

The boy bites his lip, considering. He has no reason to trust Liu. But on the other hand, the older man has no reason to like the Dai Li, clearly. And it isn't a permanent berth, but only a few days.

Finally, Ichiro nods. "All right."

They've finished their meal, so the two men pay and head out together, Ichiro with his eyes half-lidded to hide the gold. He lets Liu lead the way, but keeps an eye out for Dai Li agents. Liu seems to sense his apprehension, and so takes Ichiro in the direction of a theatre. The boy almost balks, then realises that it would be hard for him to be identified in the dark, and so agrees.

The play itself doesn't really make Ichiro any more comfortable: it is a tale of Avatar Kyoshi and her exploits against a rampaging Fire spirit. He can't help but feel admiration for the playwright, though — the spirit has many of the same characteristics of Firelord Ozai. _Well done there, whoever you are._

Afterwards, Liu passes Ichiro a note. The boy glances around, then finds a shop that still has a light on. He moves over there and reads, 'There weren't any other shows in easy walking distance.'

Returning to Liu, he grins and says, "It's okay. I think I noticed some things a lot of folk wouldn't. I don't mind." He's lying, but he hopes Liu won't pick up on that. Liu nods, then leads Ichiro to his home.

On setting foot inside, the first thing Ichiro notices is that the entire place is made of stone. The hair on the back of his neck rises, and he almost, almost balks. Just because Liu has so far shown no signs of being an earthbender doesn't mean that he isn't. Ichiro, of all people, knows the truth of that statement.

Liu looks over his shoulder and tilts his head; Ichiro gives him a grin he hopes doesn't betray his nervousness and crosses the threshold. But he's on edge now, in a house that is potentially a trap. _He probably is an earthbender,_ Ichiro realises. _Every Dai Li whose gone after me has been, so to live in a stone house when you're living proof of the War and not be a bender is stupid._

This doesn't serve to comfort him any.

What _does_ comfort him is the way Liu goes immediately to the cabinets, hovering in front of them in a way that can only be described as _dithering_. Ichiro half-smiles at that. "Need a hand with anything?" he asks. As long as he's mooching off the man's hospitality, he may as well be polite.

Liu scribbles quickly, 'I've hardly anything. I should have stopped at a market.'

"That's okay," Ichiro assures him. "I don't actually eat that much."

 _It's Kouji who eats the most._

He tries to hide the pain that thought brings him.

Fortunately, Liu is still focused on the cupboards, giving Ichiro time to compose himself. He then puts the young colonist to work, showing him where the dishes are and getting him to set the table for the two of them. For dinner he makes tea and eggdrop soup, and provides a special treat for their tea: cinnamon. Ichiro's mouth waters; even in New Sozin he only got cinnamon for special occasions. He could only imagine it was even more expensive in the Earth Kingdom proper than in a port colony.

The two of them enjoy a nice dinner, and then a chat afterwards. They don't speak of anything consequential or potentially damning; Ichiro is surprised to find that he doesn't even have to lie too often. When finally they tire, Liu shows the young man to a sleeping pallet; Ichiro is asleep almost as soon as he lies down.

\---

Ichiro wakes the at dawn the next morning to find that Liu is already up and gone, but he's left a note. Curious, Ichiro reads to find that his host has gone to the early market in order to fetch some food for breakfast.

"You really didn't have to," he tells the air, and sets about cleaning up where he slept.

It isn't long before Liu is back; when the older man walks in, he smiles with his eyes at Ichiro's industry. Again he has the boy set the table while he makes the food; the two of them enjoy a hearty breakfast together.

Their conversation picked up where it had ended the night before, but now Ichiro was antsy, wanting to get back to the search for his siblings. Finally, Ichiro couldn't stand it anymore.

"Thanks for letting me stay the night, Liu," he says to the older man, starting to rise from the table. Liu nods, rising in turn; Ichiro bows politely (and in correct Earth Kingdom fashion) to his host.

Liu offers an abbreviated bow that makes Ichiro blink. _Wait, is that one of apology?_

Unnerved, Ichiro turns to go out the door, and finds the floor turned to mud under his feet. "What the—" he yelps, trying to pull free— too late, he's been stuck ankle-deep and the mud is stone.

 _Trap! You idiot!_

He tries to reel around to see Liu, but the angle is awkward and if he unleashes a burst of fire he might not hit his target. _Shit!_

He sees stone fly from the wall to Liu's hand, but isn't sure what the older man — _enemy enemy he's a trap he set you up_ — is doing until he feels a pair of strong impacts on his wrists. His arms are then dragged behind him and locked together while Ichiro yells a curse and wobbles dangerously, his balance offset. More rocks against his back, but this time steadying him. This isn't much of a kindness, though, since they immediately leap from his back to his head and cover his mouth, effectively covering his last avenue of firebending. He is well and truly caught, able only to call himself idiot and curse Liu silently.

And then things go from bad to worse.

Dai Li agents enter the house.

Golden eyes narrow, then go wide as one of the agents says, "Yes, sir," in response to some message from Liu Ichiro cannot see. The pair wait a moment, then the speaker reaches for Ichiro.

Ichiro closes his eyes and remembers the night his father attacked Kouji and is rewarded by a hiss from the Dai Li; he opens his eyes in time to see the agent retracting his hand and shaking it. The air around him is distorted with heat; Ichiro himself feels fine though he knows he can't keep up this kind of bending for long without severe damage to his body.

The other agent also tries, and snatches his hand back. "How is he doing that?" that one demands of his compatriot; Ichiro smirks behind his rock gag.

Then the pair of them snap to attention; Liu seems to have left and then return. Silence, then the two men look at each other. "He's hot," complains one of them, sounding surly; Ichiro, feeling contrary, bows as if to thank the agent for the compliment.

There's a sound of moving rock, then the agents both look chagrined. "Oh," says one, then both men move their hands to a bending position; Ichiro is given the dubious honour of watching how Dai Li make their ubiquitous rock gloves.

The men reach for him again, and Ichiro prepares to make their lives difficult—

—pain—

Nothing.

* * *

_Alas, alas! [...] Poor, foolish thing! at last  
Up jumped the cunning spider, and fiercely held her fast;  
He dragged her up his winding stair, into the dismal den -  
Within his little parlor - but she ne'er came out again!_

* * *

Ichiro isn't sure how long he's been in this dark stone room. He hasn't been fed since breakfast with that bastard Liu and has only been given minimal water. He's felt the tug of the sun at least four times, but he doesn't know how long he was unconscious after his initial capture.

His water is generally brought by a woman with a perky voice who always enquires how he is enjoying his stay. His responses vary from rude to vulgar and once to Old Fire, but no matter what he says, she always replies, "Wonderful! We're glad you are enjoying things," as if she hasn't heard him. It's… mildly creepy.

Now, he lies on his back on the floor, staring up at what he supposes is the ceiling. He paced often the first day, and a few times the subsequent days, but yesterday and today he hasn't moved at all; today he hasn't even bothered to firebend a light.

Ichiro is not stupid. The Dai Li are trying to weaken him, and it's working. He needs to escape before he's where they want them — and to do that, he needs to act as though he's weaker than he really is.

Finally, the door slides open again; Ichiro slowly turns his eyes to the light, as if he's craving it. A pair of Dai Li walk in and drag him to his feet; Ichiro struggles weakly, barely enough for reaction. Alas, these two are a bit brighter than the ones who came in to get him; their grip on him _tightens_ in response. No daring escape down the hall.

He lets his head loll on his shoulders as the two men drag him out of the room, along some corridors, and into another dark room, where he is manhandled into a chair and locked down with rock before the pair leave him.

More time passes, maybe a few minutes, then the door opens again and two more people enter, one all but dragged by the other. The dragger releases the draggee and moves over to something Ichiro can't quite see in the dark; then he hears rock strike rock and a light flickers in the darkness.

Ichiro's eyes instantly snap over to it, a move only half-feigned. The one who had lit the flame stood to one side, presumably studying him. Ichiro pretended that his only interest was the flame.

"What should I make him?" the man asks of his companion. "Another brother might be pushing my twins a bit far."

 _Kouji and Yui._

Ichiro can't grab onto the sudden rage in time; the light flares and almost destroys its container.

Neither Dai Li seems to notice, and the other man shrugs as the fire returns to its normal level.

Then the speaker goes on, "Your report indicated the two of you got along. Perhaps a friend for you?"

 _Liu._

Ichiro has heard rumours, though nothing substantial, about some of the things the Dai Li can do. His already-lit temper flares again with rage — not at Liu, who was actually pretty clever about the whole thing, but at this bastard who stole and changed _**his**_ siblings and is now offering to turn him into— something— for the scarred man who first captured Ichiro.

The fire flares high and hot and the glass containing it shatters, sending shards around the room at high speed. Ichiro is only barely able to avoid losing an eye; as it is the glass shard buries itself in his temple. He keeps his hold on the flame, though, flooding the room with light so he can see and memorise the face of the man who stole Kouji and Yui.

His view is unfortunately obstructed by rock; Liu seems to have shielded the speaker with a wall of earth and has his own arm up over his eyes. Ichiro takes a deep breath and lowers the intensity of the flame as he lets the air out; other than that he doesn't move. Finally, Liu lowers arm and shield, giving Ichiro his first glimpse of the bastard who changed his twin sibs.

He is… disappointingly average. Typical earth kingdom skin, eyes, hair, Dai Li braid… but his smile sends a chill up Ichiro's spine.

Finally, Ichiro speaks. "Sorry. Did you need that?" Blood trickles down his cheek.

"We have others," the man replies.

Liu touches the man's arm to get his attention, then lays his hands on the wall. To Ichiro's surprise, words appear as though inked: 'We should not do this now.'

 _I've never seen earthbending like that._

Creepy Smile Man studies Ichiro again. "Too much fire in him still, do you think?"

Ichiro bares his teeth at him and encourages the flames a bit; they brighten in response, chasing almost all shadow from the room.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Creepy Smile Man continues. "It'd be a waste of time to do this now. Put him back."

Ichiro knows that he can't fight them, and so slowly lowers the flame until there's just enough illumination to see. But he meets Creepy Smile Man's eyes. "What did you do to my siblings?" he demands, his voice low.

"There's really no point in telling you," Creepy Smile Man replies. "They won't be your siblings when I'm done making you."

The firebender snarls angrily, keeping the tone low in his throat and letting it reverberate in his chest. It's almost exactly the sound of an angry tigerwolf.

Creepy Smile Man's smile widens. "So that's where she learned it from."

The fire flares higher, and Ichiro says, "I am going to kill you."

Liu takes Creepy Smile Man's arm and hustles him out, leaving Ichiro alone with the fire.


	4. Cutting the Strings

** Cutting the Strings **

* * *

_"You don't own me  
Don't try to change me in any way  
You don't own me  
Don't tie me down, cause I'll never stay!"_

* * *

Xin Wan, in his delight with his new toys, his children to love and care for, forgot one detail about his little doll: Yui had made unlocking things a habit. And he didn't know that the things she unlocked weren't always physical.

For the girl herself, it was as though a switch had been flipped: when she had gone to bed, she had been Lei. When her eyes snapped open in the middle of the night, she was Yui. She almost, _almost_ screamed, but only barely stopped herself by shoving her fist in her mouth and biting down. If she woke Kouji — no, he was still Xi Zu — Xin Wan would change her again.

Taking several deep breaths, Yui closed her eyes and sorted through her memories of the last couple weeks. She scowled as she remembered the shame of herself and her body that she had carried as Lei, and then frowned as she realised that there were a number of blank points in her memory.

 _I can't stay here._

She didn't know how long Xin Wan had been changing people, but he had turned her into somebody else — taken away or altered Yui's memories, and given Lei entirely new ones. She also rather suspected that if she tried to pretend she was still Lei, he would see through it.

She had to leave.

With as little noise as possible, she slipped from the bed and padded to the closet she shared with Kou— with Xi Zu and started taking her things. She could find no trace of the clothes she'd worn when Xin Wan first caught her, but she hadn't really expected to: those clothes didn't fit in with the history he'd provided her.

Instead, she dressed in the most hardy of the clothes he'd bought for her, already making plans. These she had now could be sold easily, perhaps in the Middle Ring where she could have some amount of anonymity. Unfortunately the garments weren't suited for the Lower Ring, or she'd sell them there.

With that purpose in mind, she packed them all, then picked up the music box Xin Wan had made her. She stared at it for a long moment.

 _In his own twisted way… he really does love me and Kouji._

Then she shook her head. Xin Wan loved Lei and Xi Zu.

This didn't stop her from packing the music box anyway.

* * *

Zuko, formerly a prince of the Fire Nation and now humiliatingly a refugee, was still unnerved by the events of the previous night. It wasn't so much that crazy idiot Jet bursting in to announce to the world that they were firebenders as it was that nobody had seemed to be bothered by the pronouncement— not to mention the earthbenders in dark green robes that had taken Jet away during the fight.

Uncle, irritatingly enough, didn't seem very bothered at all, instead keeping up a steady stream of chatter at his nephew about nothing in particular. Sighing, Zuko let his mind wander—

—and his ears picked up a song that certainly didn't belong in this city.

  
 _"Oh, the moon is rising high in the depths of night,  
Silent is the ruined site lying on the ground,  
Ivies creep o'er the gate in the cold moonlight,  
Rustling are the pine trees through the windy night."_

  
Zuko _knew_ that song. It was a Fire Nation song.

Uncle had recognised it too; before Zuko quite realised it, he was being hauled in the direction of the singer. She didn't take long to find; like with most buskers of any decent skill, there was a crowd gathered 'round her. The crowd itself wasn't large, due to the early hour, so Zuko and Uncle were able to catch sight of the girl— and she _was_ a girl, Zuko realised.

She had the height of a prepubescent child but her body was already starting to flare in the proper places, making her age difficult to determine, but Zuko didn't notice that so much as her raven hair, amber eyes, and pale skin.

A Fire Nation girl, singing a Fire Nation song, in an Earth Kingdom city that hid away a century-long war.

And then he noticed the bowl at her feet. Not just singing for her own amusement — she was a street performer.

Well, that made sense; performing troupes tended to be mixed nationality anyway…

"Hnh," Uncle said unexpectedly. "Do you see anyone keeping an eye on her, nephew?"

Zuko blinked and looked around automatically; his good eye narrowed as he realised he did not. "She's on her own?"

Uncle gave him one of those Looks; Zuko shifted uncomfortably in response and turned back to the girl to get away from it. She was a good performer, he had to admit; not breathy or shrill like most child singers, and she scanned the audience, meeting the eyes of the people she sang for.

He was more than ready for the startled expression she got when spying him — his scar often had that effect on people — but not for that startlement changing to fear. Why would she be so afraid?

Beside him, Uncle made a concerned sound, but the girl had collected herself and her eyes were moving again. She finished her song, bowed in reply to the applause, and then launched into an Earth Kingdom ditty about the spring that reminded Zuko of a similar song he'd known as a child.

Apparently the girl knew that one too; she modulated the Earth Kingdom song into the one he remembered, now singing about the summer. And then came the ultimate shocker — the summer song turned into an operatic-sounding piece, adapted for a child's voice and sung in Old Fire.

"And so Princess Akiko begged the aid of the old deserter," said Uncle quietly, "that she might not fall into the hands of the cruel men of Guoyin while she wandered lost in the Earth Kingdom, searching for her betrothed lost so many years ago."

Zuko looked over at him. "…what?" he asked eloquently.

"She's asking for help, nephew," Uncle translated.

The fallen prince blinked several times. "How do you figure?"

"I've seen that opera," he explained as the girl finished her song to applause. "Interestingly, the villain of the piece is named Hazumi."

"Spring," murmured Zuko, catching on. "Earth." He glanced back at the girl, who was now scooping the coins from her bowl.

"Go talk to her. Try not to look like you're picking her up."

Zuko gave his uncle a scandalised look. "What?"

Uncle answered by giving Zuko a gentle shove in the girl's direction. She looked up as the former prince stumbled forward; he could see her tense. _If she's so scared, why is she asking for help?_ he wondered. "Uh. Hi?" he tried.

"Hi," she replied, and bowed slightly.

Clumsily he followed suit, and noticed that she'd briefly positioned her hands in the Fire style.

 _She's going out of her way to prove her heritage… what if it's a trap?_

She smiled at him. "We can't speak in public," she told him softly. "The Dai Li have eyes everywhere."

His good eye narrowed. Dai Li. It had been Dai Li who had taken Jet away.

—how had _she_ come to their attention?

—oh, right. Fire.

—then why had they ignored him and Uncle last night?

"Do you know of a safe place to meet?" The question was asked of him, but she was looking past him, at Uncle, and it was Uncle who answered.

"There is a restaurant two blocks from here," he said, and eyed the girl's bowl. "Three Chrysanthemums. We will buy you lunch."

She gave them a brilliant smile, bowed once more, and then melted into the crowd.

* * *

At noon, Yui was at the Three Chrysanthemums. Kou— Xi Zu was still in the Upper Ring, so she was safe enough for the moment.

 _The spirits are being kind to me_ , she thought. Running into the Dragon of the West had been a stroke of luck so good she didn't even stop to think about why he was even in Ba Sing Se. Yes, she knew that the Fire Nation could be trusted no more than the Earth Kingdom, but as long as she never actually _mentioned_ her twin could earthbend…

She spotted the old man's companion quickly — which did make her wonder; the boy had so obviously been attacked by a Firebender. Was he an earthbender too? Maybe Kouji wasn't a freak! — and squirmed her way over to him. "Hi," she said, and was rewarded by seeing him jump.

The Dragon of the West looked amused, and invited her to have a seat.

"Thank you," she said, sliding into one. The scarred boy sat next to her, clearly sulking.

"You have a lovely voice," the old man complimented her. "I haven't heard that opera in decades, but you did a fine job as Princess Akiko."

She thanked him again, a little more shyly this time. He was the second person she'd met who _had_ heard the opera — and the first one had taught her the song to begin with. _Thank you, Agni. You and the other spirits really_ are _looking out for me now_. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Where to begin?

It didn't help matters any that the man across from her was the _Dragon of the West_ , Prince Iroh, once the Firelord's heir and one of the most dangerous men in existence. To make things worse, she was just a peasant. A _colonist_ peasant. Possibly a traitor as well; Yui wasn't entirely certain about that.

She took another deep breath, fighting with her crashing nerves.

"Is there a Natsumaru to your Akiko?" he asked gently.

She gave him a grateful look. "After a fashion — my brothers."

"Ah?"

Yui licked her lips, checking her story mentally to make sure she wouldn't give away the wrong thing, then said carefully, "My little brother and I were… taken by the Dai Li just over a fortnight ago, near as I can figure. And my big brother isn't at home. I don't know what happened to him."

The scarred boy blinked and asked, "Do you know Jet?"

"No!" she said hotly. "That terrorist? _Hell_ no."

He looked hurt at the curtness of her reply, but Yui had no room in her for guilt at the moment. The Dragon of the West tapped the table to get Yui's attention again. "Are there any others in your family here?"

Yui shook her head. "It's just me, Ichi-ni, and Kouji."

He looked concerned, but pressed on. "Do you know why the Dai Li took you?"

She fell silent, considering. She couldn't very well tell him the real reason, or that the whole thing was all her fault. But she couldn't think up a plausible lie to protect Kouji and Ichiro, either. Finally, she said quietly, "I can't remember. I— it's just— it's blank. There's nothing…"

The concern only deepened, and— yes, _there_ was the guilt. "I have heard that before," Prince Iroh said slowly. "Will you tell me what you do remember of how you came to be in Ba Sing Se?"

"I…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "We were looking for somewhere safe." She paused, then added, "From the Fire Nation." The scarred boy's head snapped around to her, looking confused. "Ichi-ni… he's all we've got," Yui explained. Not a lie. "But he's sixteen. Adult. And… I guess he's got good soldier qualities."

"I understand," the prince replied, sounding regretful. He sighed heavily. "What has happened to you here?"

Yui explained their first few weeks in Ba Sing Se, then turned her idiotic adventure in the Earth Palace into a blank spot. "The next thing I remember…" She stopped and shuddered, and her reaction wasn't feigned.

Prince Iroh gave her time to pull herself together, ordering tea for them all.

Finally Yui let out a shaky breath and said, "The next thing I remember is waking up. As somebody else."

The two men gave her blank looks, and Yui shuddered again. "I wasn't _me_. I was… some half-blood girl named Lei. There were parts of me that were still me, but…" Her hand clenched into a fist. "I was ashamed. Ashamed of my Fire blood. Ashamed of my body."

The boy looked stunned and disgusted; the prince just looked disgusted. "There are rumours…," he said slowly.

Yui shuddered again. "I don't know what they are. I just know what happened to me. What that _bastard_ did to me."

"And they have your brother still."

The girl nodded. "I… I don't even know how I stopped being Lei. I fell asleep as Lei and woke up Yui again."

Bit by bit, the prince drew the rest of the story from her, drawing as much a complete picture as he could while still managing to reassure Yui. The boy, on the other hand, grew more and more agitated as she spoke, until Yui realised that she was hotter on the side closest to him than she was on the other. Startled, she looked over at him to see the air around him was distorted with heat.

 _Firebender!_

Prince Iroh noticed as well, and said warningly, "Nephew."

The young man closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. Finally the heat petered out, and Yui thought critically that Ichiro could do that much faster. She didn't voice her thought aloud, however; they didn't need to know about the breach of the Firebending Law.

Yui licked her lips and considered what else to tell them. Finally, she just said, "Please… I need to get them out of there. I can't do it alone."

Prince Iroh reached across the table and patted her hand gently. "Don't worry, Yui," he told her. "We'll find your brothers." His face wore a comforting smile, but his eyes were molten with anger.


	5. Stringless Puppet

** Stringless Puppet **

* * *

_Existing in this place now are uncleanable lies  
I wonder when it has begun  
How far do I have to go to see the light?_

* * *

  
Xi Zu can't understand why Lei has run away. It just isn't like her! The outside world has been cruel to her because of their mixed Fire blood, and she is rightfully wary of it. The only reason he hasn't been the same is probably because that same Fire blood enhances his anger at his sire and at those who harass his sweet little sister.

But still, something isn't right. Xin Wan seems… well, more annoyed than worried about Lei, all alone in Ba Sing Se. Of course, it's different here than it would be in their home village — there is no war in Ba Sing Se, and certainly nobody here has noticed the amber eyes that are a sure sign of Lei's heritage.

Xin Wan asks him constantly where Lei is, and that's something else Xi Zu can't figure out — Lei keeps moving. He has no idea why she won't stay put — unless she's deliberately trying to make it hard for him to find her. But why would she do that? What is going on in Lei's head?

His cousin is gone now, probably off to talk to the Dai Li. He has forbidden Xi Zu to leave the house to look for Lei, but the boy simply _can't_ wait around for his sister. He has to go find her. This decided, Xi Zu locates paper and writing materials, then writes out a note for Xin Wan, apologising for disobeying him and explaining that he had to go out to find his sister. He's spent his whole life looking out for her, after all; he can't just stop now.

Ever the perfectionist, Xi Zu scours the note, looking for mistakes, and frowns — he's written 'Yui' where he could have _sworn_ he had written 'Lei'. Annoyed, he blots out the error and rewrites the character, but the damage is done. With a sigh, he leaves the note on the table and slips out of the house like a wraith in the early evening hours.

By the time darkness falls, he's snuck out of the Lower Ring and is enjoying a bowl of noodles in the Middle Ring. Like most of the food here, it tastes exceedingly bland to him; Xi Zu can't help but wonder why he feels like his meals should be spicier.

He sighs. _I could really go for some fire flakes._

— _Fire flakes? Since when do I eat Fire Nation food?_

Something is strange here, and Xi Zu can't help but feel that it's related to those nightmares he keeps having, of the firebender trying to kill him and another firebender — somebody he knows and loves — coming in to protect him.

Frowning, he rubs his chest, feeling the scar there under the fabric of his shirt. He should probably talk to Xin Wan about the nightmares when he brings Lei back.

But first he'll have to find Lei.

Xi Zu closes his eyes, seeking out the feeling that is his twin sister in his head, and checking its proximity to him. He frowns again; Lei has moved to yet another part of the Lower Ring. Even taking one of the earth trains, it will take him two hours to get near her, and in that time she will have certainly moved on.

 _Well, if you stay here, she'll only get further away,_ he reminds himself. He finishes his meal and then heads for the earth trains, checking the bag at his belt to make sure his sand is still there. Xin Wan has taught him more earthbending in the past two weeks than he's learned his whole life, but Xi Zu prefers working with the fluid, responsive sand that enables him to move almost as lightly as a Dai Li agent. Fast action and reaction are key to his preferred style of combat, though Xin Wan has assured him he won't see much in Ba Sing Se.

Xi Zu, however, believes in being prepared for all eventualities, and has thus kept up his practise with sand when Xin Wan worked and Yui and little Mi-Cha played under the watchful eye of one of the Dai Li trainees. Alak in particular had been interested in how Xi Zu earthbent, as had Mi-Cha's father, Commander Hyo.

It's odd, Xi Zu reflects now, but sometimes it had seemed to him that Hyo had pitied him and Lei. Maybe because of their Fire blood, or even their relation to Xin Wan — a blind man could see that the Commander and Xin Wan didn't get on. Dai Li are weird, he decides, paying for his ticket and taking his seat on the train.

Three hours is a long time, and he's going to use that to figure out how to convince Lei to come back with him.

* * *

  
Lei hasn't moved.

Xi Zu frowns as he steps off the earth train, tugging his jacket straighter. _Maybe she's realised it's time to go back home._

 _Or maybe she's in trouble._

The boy's frown deepens, and he quickens his pace to get to his twin. If she's been kidnapped to get at Xin Wan, Xi Zu will make them regret that they were ever born!

It takes him another hour of walking to find Lei — and to realise she isn't alone. Two men stand with her, one old, short, and portly, the other young, taller, and athletic. Lei has a torch in her hand.

Xi Zu slows, his hand dropping to the bag at his side. "Lei, what are you doing?" he asks her.

Lei closes her eyes, then lets out a sigh and opens them again. "I'm not Lei," she says softly.

Xi Zu blinks. "Of course you are. You're my twin sister."

"I'm your twin sister," Lei tells him, "but I'm not Lei. And you're not Xi Zu. Xin Wan did something to us, made us remember fake lives."

"That can't be true!" Xi Zu cries. "Xin Wan loves us!"

"I know he does," Lei replies, stepping forward; Xi Zu shies away from the fire and then wonders why. He doesn't fear fire. "But he made us into Lei and Xi Zu. We're not Earth Kingdom. We're Fire."

"That's a lie! Our father—"

"Is going to freeze in hell," Lei interrupts him, "but he never raped our mother. I'm not Lei, I'm Yui."

Yui.

That name he'd written earlier.

"And you're not Xi Zu," she continues, "you're Kouji. My little brother. And we have an older brother. Ichiro. He gave up _everything_ for you."

"What are you _talking_ about?" Xi Zu demands, but his memory offers up his dream from last night, of the teenage firebender protecting him. He ignores it; it's only a nightmare, nothing more.

Lei— Yui— _Lei_ bites her lip and looks up at the old man. "I don't know what to do. I don't even know how _**I**_ broke through whatever he did to me."

He offers Lei a kindly smile. "Why did you come to Ba Sing Se?"

Xi Zu's twin hesitates, then she turns back to him. "I'm sorry, Kouji," she whispers, then she steps forward and swings her torch at him. The flames arc through the air _and Kouji falls back, just barely avoiding the attack. He stares at his father with wide eyes, his heart pounding in his chest._

 _"Dad, why?" he cries, but his father isn't listening. The man has run mad, his eyes wide with hatred, fire blazing in his hands as he rants. Kouji can barely make out what his father is saying, so great is his fear._

 _He avoids another blast of fire, and another, but the fourth strikes him full in the chest and he falls back, screaming in pain as his shirt catches fire. "Dad, stop!" he cries through his tears, but his father is preparing another blow—_

 _That is slapped aside as Ichiro dives in out of absolutely nowhere. At the same time, the flames surrounding Kouji are snuffed in an instant. Their father screams something, but Kouji can't understand it anymore, everything hurts and his heart is breaking,_ why, Father, I'm your _son_!

* * *

  
Kouji yelled and shot upward, his arms and legs tangling in sheets. He opened his mouth to scream again, but a warm hand clamped over his face, silencing him, and then Yui shrieked his name and exploded against him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and holding on like she'd never let go.

"Yui!" he cried through the hand on his mouth, and the hand moved so he could cling to his sister. It took Kouji a long time to calm down, but Yui was _there_ and she was _Yui_ and _he_ was Kouji and he knew who he was now.

Finally, he was able to let go of his her and look around. They were in a small apartment, sparsely furnished and most likely in the Lower Rings. Well, that would make sense, wouldn't it?

They weren't alone, either; the hand that had earlier silenced him belonged to an angry-looking young man, about Ichiro's age, with dark hair and golden eyes. Across the room and by a stove was an old man, short and stocky and brewing tea. They had been with Yui earlier, he remembered, when he had still been— someone else.

The old man turned to him, and Kouji's eyes went wide. "Y-yui?" he whispered, taking her hand in his. How in the _world_ had she gotten _the Dragon of the West_ to help her?

"The tea is ready," said Prince Iroh. He smiled on seeing Kouji's expression, but only poured the tea and brought it out.

"I don't need any tea," snapped the angry young man, and he took himself into another room.

The twins blinked, but thanked Prince Iroh quietly before taking sips of their tea. Chamomile, Kouji realised quickly, and flushed. His waking had been very… yeah. He finished the cup without looking at anybody.

Silence stretched for a few moments, and Kouji felt Yui shift uncomfortably beside him. Finally, Prince Iroh gently asked, "Why did you leave your home colony?"

Yui's hand jerked in Kouji's; Kouji licked his lips and turned from Iroh to hide the welling tears. He had to be _strong_ , dammit!

"Because," Yui said at last, her voice scarcely a whisper, "Father… tried to… tried to kill Kouji."

Kouji risked a peek, and saw the air around the prince warp slightly. Emotionbending. Well, that would make sense. He didn't know what Kouji _was_. If he knew… The boy shuddered, and Yui leaned into him to try and lend him her strength.

"I see." Prince Iroh's voice was quiet, but tight with anger. Much to Kouji's relief, however, he didn't follow that line of questioning further, instead inquiring about their travels across the Earth Kingdom.

Slowly, he drew from Yui and Kouji the story of how they had gone from New Sozin to Ba Sing Se, including the times Ichiro had been imprisoned for being in enemy territory, theft, and for breaking the Firebending Law — though Yui had actually left that one out, implying instead that Ichiro had picked a fight with the soldiers.

Kouji had the strangest feeling that Prince Iroh knew they were hiding things, but he never once called them on it, instead encouraging them.

Yui did most of the talking, since what little Kouji _did_ remember of the early stages of their trip was scattered and fever-mad — while he had been conscious when Ichiro had been taken away the first time, he was still convinced the Earth Kingdom soldiers had been armadillo-bears.

She also downplayed her own lockbending, Kouji noticed, implying that she'd simply lifted the passports they needed to get across the water into the city rather than breaking into somebody's luggage to get them. Well, she probably had her reasons.

His sister wrapped up the tale with Ichiro finding them a small apartment and getting a job; when she finished, Prince Iroh frowned. "I see," he said slowly. "There is one thing I do not understand, however."

Kouji tensed — he was going to ask why. That had to be it.

"How did the Dai Li come to be so interested in your family?"

That wasn't why.

"I don't know," he admitted. "They got to Yui first—" He turned to his sister, hoping she might enlighten him, and frowned. She looked uncomfortable.

"I told you," she said quietly. "I don't remember."

"Ah, of course," Prince Iroh replied. "I had forgotten." He fell silent a moment, then said, "Yui — you were able to tell me where your brother was. Can you do the same for your other brother?"

Yui both shook her head, and Kouji answered for her. "No — we can only do it for each other. I think it's part of the whole twin thing."

Now the Dragon of the West frowned. "Troubling," he commented. "If they've captured him…" Molten eyes narrowed. "He needs to be found. I do not like the Dai Li with a boy of our nation."


	6. The Spider

****

**The Spider**

* * *

 _Put on your pretty lies, you're in the city of wonder  
Ain't gon' play nice, watch out you might just go under  
Better think twice, your train of thought will be altered  
So if you must falter, be wise_

* * *

  
If anything, Ichiro's incarceration has gotten worse since his encounter with Creepy Smile Man. On top of barely feeding or watering him and locking him away from the sun, they now come in to disturb his sleep in a further attempt to weaken him. Things are starting to look particularly bad for him.

But he's had bad before, and while this may be worse, Ichiro is confident he can get through this and save his siblings, no matter what Creepy Smile Man has done to them.

He's taken to meditation, something he'd never had much patience for, as a way of trying to retain his strength of body and will, but he isn't looking forward to the testing of it. Nevertheless, he's ready when two Dai Li agents come to fetch him again. He chooses not to struggle and even stands under his own power (though he wobbles a bit). The men don't react to his rising save to take him by the arms and lead him down a hallway… and then another hallway… and then several more hallways until Ichiro is thoroughly lost.

 _Where the hell are we going_? Ichiro wonders.

Halfway there, to Ichiro's irritation, his legs completely give out on him, and he has to be dragged to what looks like an underground version of the earth trains that traverse Ba Sing Se. He is unloaded inside and cuffed with rocks, he presumes as a precaution, then the train begins to move.

Ichiro isn't sure if he blacks out or falls asleep on the way there, but the next thing he knows he's being dragged to his feet and led down another hall, and up some stairs. Finally, he's dragged into a room where a green fire roars. The colour strikes him as being just wrong, somehow, but that doesn't stop him from staring hungrily at the flames.

He's so intent on the flames he almost doesn't notice the tall man standing off to one side. As it is, he can't even be bothered to look at him.

After a few moments, the tall man moves around to one side. Paper rustles, but Ichiro sees nothing but the green flames beckoning to him. After another few moments, the boy closes his eyes and steps forward, answering their call.

He hears the earth move, and his golden eyes snap open to see a stone wall in front of him, just an inch from his nose. He snarls a curse at being cut off from the fire.

"None of that."

The voice is behind him; he whirls and keeps his hands devoid of flame only through sheer effort of will. "Who—?"

The man standing there is tall and thin, dressed in long green robes trimmed with gold. His hair is dark and his eyes glitter in the odd green light cast off by the fire.

"I am Long Feng," he says, "Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se."

A thousand snarky replies well up in Ichiro's head, but the boy bites them back. He has been brought to this man by the Dai Li. Snark may well end in pain for him. Finally he settles with, "And apparently in charge of the Dai Li."

The man's lips quirk slightly, and he doesn't even bother to deny it. "And you are…?" he asks, sounding just a little curious.

"Exceedingly confused," Ichiro's mouth says before his brain can censor it.

Long Feng, fortunately, doesn't hurt him for the wiseass remark. "What brings you to Ba Sing Se, Ichiro?" is his next question.

Ichiro gives a lazy shrug, as if he doesn't care whether or not Long Feng knows the truth. "Safest city in the world. What else?"

"For a firebender?" The man sounds curious.

Golden eyes roll in reply. "Even for a firebender. I was _not_ picked up for firebending."

"Then what were you picked up for?" is the mild query.

Ichiro pauses. He doesn't _know_ , even now. Obviously their secret had been outted, but which one? And how? Rather than express his confusion, he says nothing.

At least that's his plan.

His mouth has other ideas. "My pretty golden eyes?"

"Clearly." The man's voice hardens; in just one word Long Feng has gone from congenial to intimidating. "Listen carefully, boy. If you tell me the truth, I will save you from what Xin Wan has planned for you."

He doesn't know that name, but Ichiro has a very good idea of who Xin Wan is anyway. The fire behind him spikes with his fury. Quickly he reaches for it, bringing it back down to normal levels. Emotionbending will get him nowhere, except possibly on a quick road to pain.

Once he's controlled, he focuses on what Long Feng has just said to him. The last thing he wants is to let the bastard who took his siblings have his way with _him_ … but how does he know the Grand Secretariat will do as he says?

And it isn't just himself that he's worried for.

"What about my brother and sister?" he asks, unable to keep the emotion from his voice.

"Your brother and sister would be much more difficult," Long Feng replies calmly. Ichiro hears the unspoken caveat: their safety would require a higher price. He closes his eyes. _At least I have no actual loyalty to my country. But will what I know save them?_

He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. "What do you want to know?" he asks softly.

* * *

  
When he's done with Long Feng, he's taken out again and brought to an apartment. It isn't his old one — it's bigger, for one thing, and in the Middle Ring instead of the Lower Ring. But his siblings aren't there. The Grand Secretariat hasn't told him anything about them, save for the sentence, "They are safe."

This doesn't reassure Ichiro any; Ba Sing Se is safe, after all.

But he isn't alone, either — he has a roommate.

Liu.

Ichiro is not sure how he feels about that.

On the one hand, it's Liu's fault that he was even captured to begin with. On the other, however, Ichiro can't help but admire how neatly the Dai Li agent lured him into that trap.

On the third hand, Ichiro is officially a traitor now. He doesn't really regret it — he's never really been fond of his homeland, not since they took his best friend away and drove him to hide his own bending in the first place — but at this point it might not be wise to alienate the only people who might be willing to deal with him now.

On the fourth hand, he misses Kouji and Yui.

With a sigh, Ichiro topples back onto the couch and stares at the ceiling. He _really_ misses them.

Words etch themselves into the ceiling, almost like they'd been inked. 'Are you hungry?'

He's been on starvation rations for Agni knows how long. Of course he's hungry. "Yeah," he says, sitting up to look at Liu. The scarf-wearing agent nods and moves to the kitchen. Sighing a second time, Ichiro falls backwards again. How long will it take before he gets to see the twins? Will Long Feng ever allow it?

Snarling, Ichiro thumps the side of the couch. Sozin's balls, all he wanted was for the twins to be _safe_ , and _now_ look what had happened to them all.

Maybe it would have been kinder to let Kouji die.

Ichiro hates himself for the thought, but dammit, he never _asked_ for any of this! He didn't ask for firebending, he didn't ask to have an earthbender brother, and he _certainly_ didn't ask to have a xenophobic, rule-bound father.

Yeah. It's not Kouji's fault. It's his father's, for not even _trying_ to hide Kouji. It's the Fire Nation's, for even killing Fire-born earthbenders to start with. It's the spirits', for doing this to a sweet kid like Kouji in the first place. Why should Kouji die for their cruelty?

(Why should Ichiro have to deal with the resultant mess?)

More characters form on the ceiling, drawing Ichiro from the darkness of his thoughts.

'Lunch is ready.'

Ichiro groans as he gets up; it's harder than it should be. Stupid starvation rations. He manages to lurch to the kitchen, where Liu pushes him into a chair and puts a bowl of soup in front of him. There's not much there, but Ichiro didn't expect much — even if they're going to feed him normally now, he still has to be built up to that point.

Ichiro manages to eat the soup without bolting it in less than a minute, though it is a very close thing. He also doesn't look at Liu while he's doing it. For his part, Liu makes no conversation. He's grateful for this; he honestly doesn't know what he'd _say_ to the Dai Li.

Finishing the soup, Ichiro rises and moves to the sink to wash the bowl. He's just put it down to dry when someone knocks on the door. 'Stay there,' Liu etches into the counter, then goes to answer.

The firebender scowls, and tries to listen anyway, but Liu's guest is speaking too softly to be heard and Liu can't be heard at all. The Dai Li makes a sharp gesture, then turns on his heel and touches the wall.

'I am needed. You will remain here.'

Ichiro hasn't even finished reading before stone slides across the small window, closing it off from the outside, and Liu steps into the hall.

"…you have got to be _shitting_ me," Ichiro says as the stone door melts into the wall.

* * *

  
Zuko was convinced that this was a bad idea. But Uncle had insisted that the twins' older brother be rescued before they got them all out of the city, and Yui and Kouji had both agreed so quickly Zuko was convinced that they were hiding something about their brother. Now he and the little boy were dressed like the desert folk, slipping through the Lower Ring and trying to fit in.

It galled him how easily the boy moved in those robes, like he'd been born wearing them. To Zuko they were awkward and too hot, just like the boots on his feet. Kouji had insisted on going barefoot, and Zuko just knew he'd end up stepping on a nail or something.

How did the kid even expect to _find_ his brother? Ba Sing Se was an ungodly huge city, and if Kouji thought searching door-to-door would be enough…

Not to mention how _strangely_ Kouji was behaving, bypassing some apartment buildings entirely and pausing briefly outside others. Maybe they'd lied about being able to find their brother like they could each other? But then why stop?

This little family made _no sense_ at all, Zuko sulked.

"Got him!" Kouji suddenly whispered after a few hours of this.

Zuko blinked. "Wait, you do?" But the kid was already scrambling for the apartment. Quietly arghing, the prince followed.

Interestingly, Kouji didn't pelt up the stairs. Instead he paused, running his hand along the wall. "Stone. They'll be guarding him," the kid murmured, "and they'll feel us coming."

"Then we'll be ready for them," Zuko growled, drawing his swords. Kouji started to go ahead, but the prince grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back. "You stay behind me," he ordered, ignoring the wordless protest. The kid was only _ten_ , what did he think he could possibly do?

Partway up the stairs, Zuko decided to change tactics and sheathed his blades. Charging an enemy earthbender surrounded by stone was suicidal, and might get Kouji killed or worse, recaptured. The kid seemed to think that the Dai Li would somehow pick them up through the stone, so Zuko would act natural.

Together, they made it up seven flights of stairs, and Zuko had decided yet again that the people in Ba Sing Se were _insane_. He turned to go up the eighth flight when Kouji caught him by the elbow and tilted his head down one hallway.

Ah. This was it, then. How the hell did Kouji _know?_

 _(earthbender surrounded by stone)_

 _(would somehow pick them up through the stone)_

 _(attacked by a firebender)_

More of that freaky supernatural stuff, Zuko decided, brushing aside the almost-formed theory floating in his head.

There was a Dai Li agent at the end of the hallway. _Just act natural_ , Zuko reminded himself, leading Kouji down towards one of the rooms. _Just act natural. Natural._

Zuko had _no idea_ what that even _meant._

The Dai Li turned to them, his eyes narrowed. "There's nothing here you want," he said, shifting to a more threatening stance. "Move along."

"That's where you're wrong," Zuko replied, stepping forward.

The Dai Li moved faster than earthbenders had a right too, but Zuko had already seen that in them and was ready for the gloves. He drew his sword to cut them from the air, and yelped and closed his eyes quickly as they shattered into sand. _Blinding tactic. Smart,_ he grudgingly observed. _But useless if it doesn't work._

He opened his eyes to see the Dai Li falling into an earthbending stance; before he could move to counter, however, the earthbender yelped and leapt away from the floor, where two bloody spikes unexpectedly jutted up.

 _Apparently not all earthbenders in this city like the Dai Li._ Zuko just hoped whoever it was stayed on _his_ side.

The Dai Li was looking past Zuko, his expression almost afraid. " _Fuck_ ," he muttered, and slammed his hand against the ground. The ground beneath Zuko's feet opened up, and he yelped as he tumbled dow—

 _didn't_ tumble down. The floor had reassembled itself. Whoever that earthbender was, he was fast.

Zuko didn't wait for the Dai Li to strike again; instead he threw himself at the older man, swords at the ready. The Dai Li gestured and a wall came up, but then the wall exploded towards him, throwing him back. Zuko was right behind the flying rocks, so when the Dai Li started to rise, the prince was there, dao blades at the agent's neck. "Stay down," he growled. Without looking away, he called back, "Kid, are you all right?"

"Y-yeah," Kouji replied. Zuko frowned. Why did he sound so tired? Couldn't risk a look back, though.

"How about the guy who helped us?"

The Dai Li gave him a strange look, and Kouji sounded startled as he said, "He— he's fine, too."

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" the Dai Li asked, and Zuko glared at him.

"I didn't ask you," he said. "Kid, check for a way in, will you?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kouji edge forward and stop at the door the Dai Li had been guarding. "This is it."

"You sure?" The boy's guessing had thus far been accurate, but that didn't mean there wasn't more trickery involved.

Rather than answer, Kouji rapped his knuckles sharply against the stone covering the door in a pattern that Zuko vaguely recognised. A long pause, then an answering pattern sounded from the other side. "That's him," said Kouji, well-pleased. He glared at the Dai Li, then looked to the door again… and, for the first time, seemed uncertain.

"If he tries anything," said the Dai Li unexpectedly, "I'll bend him into a wall."

Zuko immediately turned all his attention to the agent, eyes narrowed. What kind of bastard would threaten a little kid?

Softly, Kouji replied, "It isn't him I'm worried about."

…what?

Taking a deep breath, the boy turned back to the stone barring his path. Exhale, inhale, slide into a stance, and then Kouji—

 _earthbent._

The stone covering the door cracked and crumbled, to be pushed aside with a smooth motion from Kouji, and the Dai Li agent moved. Twisting his hands against the floor, he made the stone Zuko stood on drag him down to his waist. Zuko yelled in surprise, and Kouji whirled, wide-eyed. A gesture sent the stones he'd dragged from the door at the Dai Li, but the boy was tired and his attack lacked the force necessary to be a problem. With an easy gesture, the Dai Li diverted the attack.

Zuko snarled and tried to pull himself from the floor. Earthbender or not, the boy was still Fire Nation, and he was no match for an agent of the Dai Li, especially not tired as he was—

A thin wheel of stone emerged from the wall, and Kouji spun it at his opponent who only barely dodged.

That was a _nasty_ trick.

Swearing, the Dai Li gathered himself to attack again, and the door flung open, fire shooting out and catching the Agent right in the chest, throwing him down. Before Zuko could blink, the floor spat him out and solidified below him, giving him sure footing once more. Even as a white-faced Kouji stumbled back against the wall, the Dai Li apparently decided he wasn't going to win this. A twisting of his hand again, and he dropped a story below them, getting out while the getting was still good.

"He's gone," murmured Kouji a few moments later, slumping to the ground. Zuko and his firebender brother both lunged for the boy, but the other man was closer and had pale fingers pressed lightly against his brother's throat.

"Steady," the stranger reported, not sounding much better than the boy had.

"Then let's get out of here," Zuko said.

"I'm for that," said the other, scooping the exhausted boy into his arms. "Lead on, prettyboy."


	7. Safe

**Safe**

* * *

 _And now a hand's extending outward_   
_Quiet comfort they invite_   
_Do we dare take what they offer?_   
_Do we step into the light?_

* * *

Kouji was sound asleep by the time Zuko and Ichiro made it back to the apartment. Without saying a word, Zuko took the boy from his brother's arms and carried him to his room. Before Ichiro could protest, Yui exploded against him, sobbing and apologising and holding onto him as tight as she could.

Carefully, Ichiro knelt and hugged his sister close. "Shh, Yui," he said softly. "It's all right. Everything will be all right now." He stroked her hair, trying to calm her, and watched Zuko emerge from his room, now dressed in Ba Sing Se fashion, and have a quiet word with his uncle.

He did not like the thoughtful expression on Iroh's face.

"Yui, run along and check on your brother, okay?" he asked her.

She looked up at him mutinously, and he smiled. "I'll join you soon. I would like a word with our… hosts."

Yui sighed and went to Kouji. Once the door to the room was closed, Ichiro dragged himself to his feet and faced the two wanted princes. "Now what?" he asked quietly. There was no doubt in his mind that Zuko had told his uncle about the bending.

"That is a very good question," the Dragon of the West replied. "The Dai Li will be looking for you."

Ichiro nodded. "For all of us. Long Feng has… uses for my brother and I." His eyes narrowed. "I will not see my siblings turned into pawns."

"But you and your siblings bring danger to my nephew and me," Iroh pointed out calmly.

"You knew that when you helped them," Ichiro countered, feeling his muscles tense. "Sir," he added as an afterthought.

"Would you rather we have left them to the Dai Li?" Zuko snarled at him.

The other boy glowered at Zuko. "Did I say that?"

Iroh ignored his nephew. "The question remains, Ichiro — what do we do with you? You can't remain here."

"Didn't plan on it," replied the colonist.

"But," Iroh went on, "we can't ignore your presence here, either. Your sister has implied you aren't friendly towards the Fire Nation."

"You can call me a traitor," Ichiro told him. "It won't hurt my feelings."

"You're not—" Zuko started, but the other boy cut him off.

"I am. I'm not in Ba Sing Se to help the Fire Nation."

"But are you here to help the Earth Kingdom?" Iroh asked.

That pulled Ichiro up short.

Technically speaking, he _was_ a traitor — but what damage had he _done_ the Fire Nation, really? He was a colonist and the son of a farmer, and very embittered toward his mother nation. Long Feng would be an utter fool to take anything he said at face value, and he knew the director was anything but.

On the other hand, telling the Dragon of the West he'd told Long Feng everything he could might be a fatal mistake.

"I came here to hide," he admitted. That was safe enough, and even true.

"And have done an interesting job of it," said Iroh drily.

Ichiro flushed. "Things go wrong. It happens."

"How did they even _find_ you?" Zuko demanded.

"How in hell should I know?" Ichiro shot back. "I came home from work and the twins were _gone_. Maybe too many people got concerned about my eyes and tattled. I don't care."

Zuko looked taken aback. "How can you not care?"

"Because there's nothing I can do about it," Ichiro growled at him. "And I'm not going to waste the time I could be using to get the hell out of this creepy-ass city on a futile revenge mission!"

The Dragon of the West arched an eyebrow at him. "And where will you go? It isn't any safer for you to be travelling now than it was when you first arrived. You will have the same problems as you did coming here."

"But this time Kouji won't be dying!" Ichiro snapped. "So if you're trying to drag us into the war, don't bother. We don't want any part of it."

"Because of your father?"

Iroh's tone was mild, his expression anything but. Alarm bells went off in Ichiro's head. "So what if it is?" he demanded of the old man. "I'm supposed to leave minors in the hands of a man who would _murder_ them because the law _said_ to—"

"It says no such thing!" Zuko snapped at him.

The colonist paused. "What was that?" he asked slowly.

The air around the prince was distorted with heat. "There isn't any law that says earthbenders should be killed," he growled at Ichiro. " _Especially_ not Fire-born ones!"

Iroh rested a hand on his nephew's shoulder. "To be exact, there is no provision at all in the laws of our nation for… rarities like your brother."

Ichiro stared at them both, refusing to accept what they had said. "That's not true. It _can't_ be. Dad said…"

"That your father decided this was so is regrettable," said Iroh quietly.

No.

It couldn't be true. It _couldn't_ be. Kouji was a _kid_ , not yet eleven years old. Their father wouldn't have attacked him if the law didn't…

 _"Hey, Dad?"_ he had asked one night, three years ago. _"What would happen if someone born in the colonies was born… y'know… an earthbender?"_

Their father had been silent for a long moment, not realising how intently all three of his children were watching him. Finally, he had said, _"Such a freak would be culled,"_ and then ordered Ichiro to never speak such a blasphemy again.

Ichiro had used that to convince his brother that showing him their bending would be a bad idea — but even then he had denied how their father really felt about Earth folk and earthbending. He should have seen that as a warning and left with the twins, not stayed in New Sozin where…

Ichiro sat down heavily, stricken. This whole thing was his fault.

"Ichiro," said Iroh quietly, and the boy looked up briefly before turning away from the sympathetic expression on the old man's face. "Eat something and get some rest. You have been through quite an ordeal."

Ichiro shook his head. "They'll be looking for us, we can't—"

"You can't go anywhere at all with your brother overextended," Iroh interrupted. "Eat, sleep. We can discuss this when you're rested."

"I'm all right, really," Ichiro protested. Not that he wasn't grateful to Zuko for saving him, but what would the princes _do_ while he slept? He shouldn't even be taking shelter with them _now_ , not after—

Ichiro shied away from the memory of staying with Liu. How could he have been so _stupid_?

He'd not get caught out again.

"Ichiro," said Iroh, not unkindly. "Yui took a large risk when she asked us to help her. I will not betray the trust she put in me."

 _That_ caught Ichiro's attention, and he looked up to meet Iroh's eyes. _Yui_ had asked? She knew the risks, she'd been fully conscious throughout their desperate flight across the Earth Kingdom… and she'd still asked Iroh for help.

"…all right," he said at last.

* * *

  
Ichiro felt much more human after eating, having some uninterrupted sleep, and eating a second time. His mood was also improved by Kouji suffering no bad effects from yesterday's rescue, aside from a mild increase in appetite. Ichiro, used to the amount of food his brother normally inhaled, smiled slightly at Zuko's aghast expression.

Aware that they were guests, however, Ichiro curbed Kouji before he ate to the point of rudeness. Once they were out of this Agni-damned city, he could hunt with an eye to his brother's appetite.

Which came around to the real problem: what they would do once they left.

Everyone present knew that the three colonists couldn't remain in Ba Sing Se, but Iroh was staunchly opposed to them just striking off on their own, while Zuko was opposed to… Ichiro wasn't sure if he was actually _opposed_ to anything, or if he was arguing for the sake of arguing. But it wasn't Zuko's future at stake, so he ignored the prince until Iroh sent him to another room to entertain the twins.

Finally, Iroh said, "There is a man in charge of Fire-occupied territories in the western Earth Kingdom. Daimyo Torao."

"I've heard of him," Ichiro admitted. "New Sozin's right at the edge of his territory."

"You and your siblings are refugees through no fault of your own," Iroh went on, nodding. "It falls to the daimyo to ensure you will be cared for."

Ichiro frowned. "I'm not sure. Dad— _Daitaro_ seemed to think he'd be… I don't even know. That he wouldn't be punished for trying to kill a kid. How do I know the Daimyo won't be of a similar mind?"

"I have met Daimyo Torao," Iroh assured him. "He is very fond of children, and would see your brother as a treasure, not as an oddity."

Ichiro's eyebrows rose. "That's not exactly comforting."

The Dragon of the West smiled at him. "You're a resourceful young man, Ichiro. You have already done much for your brother and sister. I believe that, with some care, you could build a life for the three of you with only minimal assistance from Torao."

The old man had a point, Ichiro realised. He could work _for_ the daimyo, rather than beg charity off him. Maybe work as a farmhand. It could work. "All right," he said at last. "I'll see him."

Iroh smiled. "Now. We will plan your path out of the city, and to Torao."

* * *

  
Long Feng was in a foul mood.

Not only had Xin Wan _lost_ the Fire twins, one of them had found an ally in Ba Sing Se and managed to free his firebender while Liu was out doing his job. Worse, while Kyung had tracked them for a good while, eventually they'd shaken him off their trail and he didn't know where they had gone to ground.

His second-in-command, to his credit, listened to his irritated dissection of the current situation without referring to his distaste for mindbending. When Long Feng finished, however, Hyo said, "What interests me is the girl. Her running away indicates that Xin Wan's mindbending was somehow broken."

"It isn't unheard of," Long Feng replied, giving his subordinate a sidelong glance. "Xin Wan himself has never lasted longer than six months under a mindbending, and that was back when he was hardly trained."

Hyo made a noncommittal sound. "Still… Xin Wan was never a ten-year-old girl, and she was only with him a fortnight."

The Director paused to consider this. "Curious. Get Niran and Bae to work on it. We need to know what went wrong."

"Yes, sir," Hyo replied, and rose. "I need to take Mi-Cha home." A gesture took down the stone he'd used to thicken the walls, and he opened the door to let Long Feng out.

Hyo's young daughter sat outside in the hallway, turning a bit of agate over in her hands and humming quietly. Both men paused at the unfamiliar tune.

"…that is not an Earth song," Hyo said.

"Hm." Long Feng knelt by the child. "Mi-Cha, where did you hear that?"

She smiled brightly up at him. "Lei taught me."

Hyo fought to hide a smile of his own as Long Feng remarked, "Really. How sweet of her," and looked over at him. "Never mind having Bae and Niran work on it."

"Yes, sir," Hyo replied. "Mi-Cha, the Director and I will be a few more minutes, all right?"

His daughter was agreeable to this, and the two men returned to Hyo's office. When the walls were back down, Hyo spoke first. "Music."

"Fire music," Long Feng clarified. "That an Earth child should not know."

"Interesting," mused the other man. "Xin Wan is thorough; there wouldn't have been a conscious memory." He managed to nearly suppress an expression of distaste.

Long Feng replied, "You've seen his music boxes. He wouldn't think twice about his girl singing songs."

"So simple," said Hyo thoughtfully.

"I should have him flogged," muttered the Director.

"He never should have kept her," Hyo pointed out. It was easy to translate 'kept' to 'changed'.

"But once he had," Long Feng said, ignoring Hyo's well-known dislike of what Xin Wan did, "he should have kept her until we had use for her."

"Opportunity lost," the Commander said. "All three of them are likely long gone by now."

"A pity," murmured Long Feng.

"Or a blessing," Hyo answered. At Long Feng's arch look, he elaborated, "If they stayed in the city, they might run into the Avatar."

Silence descended on the room for a moment, as the Director considered the possibilities of that. "A blessing indeed," he said at last. "Have Liu speak with the mindbenders. This will not happen again."

"Yes, sir," Hyo agreed, and cleared the way for them to exit again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes
> 
> Well, that's it for Head Games! I hope you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did. I'd like to thank BeckyH for all her help with this, especially in on-the-go beta'ing and giving me a much better handle on the Dai Li, Iroh, and Zuko.
> 
> Lyrics/Poems Used:  
> Curiosity Kills - Trapt  
> In My Head - Pale 3  
> Pet - A Perfect Circle  
> Hotaru Koi - Japanese children's song  
> The Lady Lies - Tony Banks  
> The Spider and the Fly - Mary Howitt  
> You Don't Own Me - Lesley Gore  
> Moonlight on the Ruined Castle - Japanese children's song  
> Xepher - Tatsh  
> Disturbia - Rihanna  
> Rumors of My Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated - Rise Against


End file.
